What's your latest camping gear purchase, and what caused you to buy it?

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Gone_xtrkn

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Houston, TX, USA
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Ordered some reusable trash bags. We generate relatively little waste when we travel so filling just 1/8 or so of a kitchen sized bag over a long weekend and then tossing it in a dumpster felt wasteful.

Going to try hauling trash/recycling home to properly recycle and compost the food waste. Can just hose out the bags and store them in the Trasharoo.
 
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BigH2OChief

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Enthusiast III

2,182
Carmel Mountain Ranch, San Diego, CA, USA
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Mark
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Woody
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28425

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US Army / US Navy
My latest purchase was a "Ploy"... I picked up a Gazelle T4, a Teton XL Cot, a Memory Foam Mattress (for the cot), and an LED Fan & Lantern. Its a 'Glamping' set up for Wifey. She was ecstatic! Which was the reaction I was looking for. The "Ploy" was to distract her with the fore mentioned, in order to soften the blow when she sees the bill for the RTT I'm having designed. Fingers crossed... Or I may be living in the RTT sooner/longer than expected. :grin:
 
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Steve_ohhhhh

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Redbank Queensland, Australia
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Steven
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Jappe
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Picked up a thermal cooker set. Insulated cooker which uses the residual heat of your prepared and heated food to complete the cooking process over a few hours.
Absolutely fantastic for the cooler months as being able to prepare dinner during the day and know a nice warm meal will be ready for dinner when the temp starts dropping.
 
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Road

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Road
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Looks like I've sold my Oztent RV-5 (delivering it this Fri). I used to use a bunch of the poles, guy lines, and stakes from the tent for other use around camp; so just got some new poles to go with the tent (I'll keep the old ones), made a bunch of new guy lines that are identical, and ordered ten new 10" Snow Peak forged iron stakes. Already had several 12" Snow Peak stakes and love 'em, so splurged and got another 10, though 10". They're the best stakes I've ever used.

Gotta treat myself every once in awhile.
 

Baughb

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Enthusiast I

231
Henderson, NV, USA
First Name
Bob
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Salcedo
5 meter canvas bell tent. Not the lightest or fastest to set up but when the wife wants comfort and amenities of home on our trips I must comply if I'm going to keep her as an adventure companion. Plus she supports my crazy ideas/ adventures lol.

I got a 4.5 meter one and I love it. Portable tiny house for the long trips. Thinking about a tent stove down the road.
 
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Sparksalot

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Bastrop County, TX, USA
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Rex
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5 meter canvas bell tent. Not the lightest or fastest to set up but when the wife wants comfort and amenities of home on our trips I must comply if I'm going to keep her as an adventure companion. Plus she supports my crazy ideas/ adventures lol.
Don’t look now, but the big bad wolf is about to huff and puff.
 

South_Puget_Sound_OL

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Enthusiast III

646
Roy, WA, USA
First Name
Kevin
Last Name
Pinick
Member #

25581

5 meter canvas bell tent. Not the lightest or fastest to set up but when the wife wants comfort and amenities of home on our trips I must comply if I'm going to keep her as an adventure companion. Plus she supports my crazy ideas/ adventures lol.
The stove is on the mind for hunting season.

I got a 4.5 meter one and I love it. Portable tiny house for the long trips. Thinking about a tent stove down the road.
 

NMBruce

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Pagosa Springs, CO, USA
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Tuffstuff Alpha ll RTT, got tried of crawling in and out of tents
 

s harris

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327
Houston, TX, USA
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steve
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harris
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moon shade awning.
packable 7’x9’ magnetized or suction cup attached, adjustable height, and two crossing poles on top for rigidity and shedding water. killer piece of gear. can be set up either direction.
 

Ragman

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Pathfinder III

1,652
Geneva, IL, USA
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Richard
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Gearhart
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15373

The most recent purchase was the Woody Dutch Oven which is a square aluminum dutch oven which is, essentially, also two square 9 inch fry pans. These are "legendary" ovens from the canoe crowd and I am in the process of lightening up my kit for use in the JKU. I am still playing with it so don't have my mind made up on it yet.
 

reaver

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Caldwell, ID, USA
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The most recent purchase was the Woody Dutch Oven which is a square aluminum dutch oven which is, essentially, also two square 9 inch fry pans. These are "legendary" ovens from the canoe crowd and I am in the process of lightening up my kit for use in the JKU. I am still playing with it so don't have my mind made up on it yet.
My dad just gave me his old Dutch oven. I'm thinking about taking it with us for our memorial day trip.

My wife keeps hearing about this legendary Dutch oven peach cobbler....

As for me... This isn't expressly a camping purchase, but I just picked up a 2013 Frontier Pro-4x. My colorado was getting up there in mileage (196k), so I figured it was time to upgrade. Kept the X, but I'm wondering if the frontier would make a better fit for when the family goes as well.
 

Road

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.
These were just delivered:

roof glands_6270-900.jpeg
Double cable roof gland for running solar panel wiring through the roof of my van.
..
tent-stakes_6271-900.jpeg
25 pack of tent stakes to try out for durability and longevity. (link goes to a 100 pack; evidently the 25 packs are unavailable right now)

Compared to the Oztent stakes (left) I've been using for years, I don't have a lot of faith these are up to the task as much. I have been unable to find 8mm thick stakes like the Oztent (they don't sell them on their site), and the 5mm on the right, well, I don't know. Even though they say galvanized steel (I won't buy aluminum straight stakes anymore), I'm not sure they have the heft needed for pounding day in and day out in a variety of hard surfaces. Time will tell.

I also have ten Snow Peak #20 forged steel stakes coming, and know from experience they'll do exactly what I want and last a lifetime.

Though if anyone knows of good hooked steel stakes like the ones from Oztent (left above) 8mm x 240mm or 5/16" x 9.5" or 10" long, please let me know. Can make a big difference. I may just get some 5/16" steel rod, make a hearty bending jig, and see if I can make a bunch. I love these Oztent stakes.
.
 
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Ragman

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Pathfinder III

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Geneva, IL, USA
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Richard
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Gearhart
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15373

My dad just gave me his old Dutch oven. I'm thinking about taking it with us for our memorial day trip.

My wife keeps hearing about this legendary Dutch oven peach cobbler....

As for me... This isn't expressly a camping purchase, but I just picked up a 2013 Frontier Pro-4x. My colorado was getting up there in mileage (196k), so I figured it was time to upgrade. Kept the X, but I'm wondering if the frontier would make a better fit for when the family goes as well.
If you want to see some dutch oven cooking check out my youtube channel Dickin' Around Outdoors where I have posted up some cooking videos.
 

Ragman

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Investor

Pathfinder III

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Geneva, IL, USA
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Richard
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Gearhart
Member #

15373

.
These were just delivered:

View attachment 196870
Double cable roof gland for running solar panel wiring through the roof of my van.
..
View attachment 196869
25 pack of tent stakes to try out for durability and longevity.

Compared to the Oztent stakes (left) I've been using for years, I don't have a lot of faith these are up to the task as much. I have been unable to find 8mm thick stakes like the Oztent (they don't sell them on their site), and the 5mm on the right, well, I don't know. Even though they say galvanized steel (I won't buy aluminum straight stakes anymore), I'm not sure they have the heft needed for pounding day in and day out in a variety of hard surfaces. Time will tell.

I also have ten Snow Peak #20 forged steel stakes coming, and know from experience they'll do exactly what I want and last a lifetime.

Though if anyone knows of good steel stakes 8mm x 240mm or 5/16" x 9.5" or 10" long, please let me know. Can make a big difference. I may just get some 5/16" steel rod, make a hearty bending jig, and see if I can make a bunch. I love these Oztent stakes.
.
I don't know about the Oztent, Springbar type tents and the stakes they require but I have used MSR Groundhog stakes for years and love them. Might be too small for the larger canvas tents though.
 

Road

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I don't know about the Oztent, Springbar type tents and the stakes they require but I have used MSR Groundhog stakes for years and love them. Might be too small for the larger canvas tents though.
.
I appreciate the reply, @Ragman - I have a set of those (mine are 7.5" long), though I'm looking for something that I can drive in good bit further in gravely or rocky ground, especially for my BA awning and sidewalls in heavy winds. I had a sudden straightline wind in a desert valley once that got up under an awning and ripped a 12" forged steel stake that I'd driven all the way into hard rock and caliche at an angle, and flipped it so far I didn't find it 'til the next day.

MSR has some interesting Blizzard Stakes too, that are 9.5" long, though I've not tried them myself.
.
 

MMc

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San Dimas, Ca.
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Mike
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McMullen
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Go to any hardware store and get those 12 " long nails, I like the galvanized. They work in all conditions and pretty cheap. I have a friend that get 3/16 rebar and heat and bends them 90*. He goes with 12" and 18" long.

.
These were just delivered:

View attachment 196870
Double cable roof gland for running solar panel wiring through the roof of my van.
..
View attachment 196869
25 pack of tent stakes to try out for durability and longevity.

Compared to the Oztent stakes (left) I've been using for years, I don't have a lot of faith these are up to the task as much. I have been unable to find 8mm thick stakes like the Oztent (they don't sell them on their site), and the 5mm on the right, well, I don't know. Even though they say galvanized steel (I won't buy aluminum straight stakes anymore), I'm not sure they have the heft needed for pounding day in and day out in a variety of hard surfaces. Time will tell.

I also have ten Snow Peak #20 forged steel stakes coming, and know from experience they'll do exactly what I want and last a lifetime.

Though if anyone knows of good steel stakes 8mm x 240mm or 5/16" x 9.5" or 10" long, please let me know. Can make a big difference. I may just get some 5/16" steel rod, make a hearty bending jig, and see if I can make a bunch. I love these Oztent stakes.
.
 
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